The Huntsman Spider: Interesting facts by Drew Wallace & Ann Jones (Summary)

Summary:
Leg span can be 15cm long.

Egg sacs reported to be the size of tennis balls.

They’re nocturnal so you wont see them in the day.

They are harmless so bites just need an ice pack to relieve pain.

They have forward facing front legs and backward facing back legs.

Can run 42 times it’s body length in a second and Usain Bolt is 5.2 body lenghts in a second.

They use less venom then other spiders and rather crush their prey with their fangs.

They have very poor sight and use hairs on the body to sense air movement.

Some more facts by Ann Jones – ABC Science
The broom method to usher the spider out is not recommended. They can grip on to anything because of their hairy legs.

They can fit in small crevices like between the tree and the bark.

They’re not harmful and will only bite when absolutely really hassled. They have fangs so it will hurt and you may have swelling but that pretty much it.

They’re active in the twilight hours and night.

It’s natural habitat is horizontal things and places people climb.

Their pedipalps are used by the male to basically ‘fist’ the female with a hand full of sperm. This is because the females could eat the males after mating.

Apart from visuals they use vibratory queues to look for prey so they can be found in cars. Look up article on how they’re attracted to 4WDs.

Because their legs are rotated a little bit which means they can collapse to be really flat.

To catch or get rid of one one – Do not panic (allow that split second of the scare to subside), do not kill it. They are not dangerous, they want to eat insects so they’re your friend not your foe.

Bonus: Hidden housemates: Australia’s huge and hairy huntsman spiders